Hand-truck.



0. HOVDE.

HAND muck. APPLICATION FILED APR. 20, 1912.

1,165,507. Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

0. HOVDE.

, HAND TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 20, 1912.

1, 165,507. Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO.,\VASHINGTON, Dvc.

. OSCAR I-IOVDE, OF HELENA, MONTANA.

HAND-TRUCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

Application filed April 20, 1912. Serial No. 632,071.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OSCAR Hovnn, (who have declared my intention, by taking out my first papers, to become aucitizen of the United States,) residing at Helena, in the 7 county of Lewisand Clark, State of Montana, have lnvented certain new'and useful Improvements in Hand-Trucks, of which the following is a descriptlon, reference be ing had to the accompanying drawing and to the figures of reference marked thereon.

The invention relates to improvements in hand trucks, for use especially in stores or warehouses for facilitating the handling of crated materials and produce, such as eggs and the like. Y

The primary object of the invention is to provide a wheeled hand truck, in which the material to be loaded thereon is positively gripped, irrespective of the exact centering of the truck with relation to the article to be handled. y

The invention, therefore, consists in the improvements hereinafter described and re ferred to in the appended claims.

7 In the drawings, Figure l is a per pective view of a truck embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the truck illustrating the manner in which a crate or other article (shown in dotted lines) is gripped, that has not been properly centered with respect to the truck; Fig. 3 is a similar view illustratingthe gripping of the crate, the opposite side thereof extending without the center of the truck.

In these drawings, 1 and 2 indicate the side bars of the truck held together by the cross straps 3, and provided at their upper ends with the handles 4: and 5. A strap 6 is shown as secured to the. upper and lower cross bars, midway of the side bars, for supporting the loaded articles when rested upon the truck. v

Secured to the lower ends of the side bars are bearing blocks 7 and 8, in which are journaled the ends of the axle 9, the latter having mounted thereon the usual wheels 10. A bar 11 is shown as secured to the axle 9 by means of the U-bolt 12, midway of the side bars 1 and 2. By this construction, the bar 11 is allowed to rock uponthe axle. Pivoted to the bar 11 is an operating arm or lever 13, having pivoted thereon at 14 a laterally extending lever 15. This operating arm extends upwardly through a guide strap 16 fastened to one of the cross bars; within reach of the person operating the truck.

Pivotally secured to the rear side of the side bars within the guide straps 1.7, are angular gripping jaws 18 and 19, respectively. These gripping jaws are formed from flat strips of metal, bent as at 20 and 21, to form inwardly extending "arms 22 and r 23; At their opposite ends they are bent as at 2-1 and 25 to form forwardly extending arms 26 and 27. Prongs or gripping joints 28 and 29 'are'struok up from these arms at their outer extremities, so as to securely grip and transport the article. Connecting the inner ends of the arms 22 and 23 and the outer ends of the laterally extending lever 15, are links 30 and 31.

The operation is as follows: Referring to Fig.1,the gripping ja'ws'are shown as extending equally without the sidebars of the truck. Now assuming the truck is centered with respect to the article to be loaded, 71. e., the truck has been brought directly up to the material to be transported, so that equal portions of it extend to either side, an upward pull upon the operating arm or lever 13 will, by reason of its pivotal connection to the axle, raise the lever 15 carried by it,

and thus in turn thrust upward the links 30 and 31. The links forcing upwardly upon the inner end of the arms of the gripping jaws, will cause the forwardly extending arms 26 and 27 to be drawn inwardly toward the sides of the article to be loaded. When the truck has been properly centered, the gripping jaws move in unison, and grip the sides of the article simultaneously.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, wherein is shown uncentered positions of' the truck with respect to the article to be loaded, the operationof the gripping jaws is different. In Fig. 2, the truck is shown as having been wheeled up to the article in an uncentered position, withthe left end of the article extending without the truck. As the truck is moved toward the article, the gripping jaws are opened by a downward thrust of the opcrating arm suificiently wide to receive the same. The operating arm is then pulled upwardly and the same operation starts to take place as has been described, but, by reason of the uneven centering of the truck, one jaw grips the article on the side projecting without the truck in advance of the other 'j aw, and stops. A continued pull upon the operating arm will, by virtue of the locked position of one of the gripping jaws and its attending link, raise the lever 15 and the link 30, and this in turn the inner arm 22 of I claim as new, and desire to secure by Let the other gripping jaw, until the latters forwardly extending arm 26 contacts and grips the opposite side of the article. The

article is now firmly held in place upon the truck, though to one side thereof.

Having thus described my 1I1VQ11t1OI1,Wl1Elt 'ters Patent, is i 1,. In a trnck having a suitable framework, gr pp ng aws pivotally mounted ,upon the framework, a member slidably 2. In a truck having a suitable framework, gripping jaws pivotally mounted upon the framework, an operating arm, a lever-a 15 pivoted to said operating arm,

.7 Copies of this patent may be obtained for. five cents each, by addressingthe commissioner of Patents, 1

and pivotal link connections between the le- 'ver and the gripping jaws whereby when one of the gripping jaws is locked the move ment ofthe operating arm will continue to operate the other gripping jaw and bring it to contacting position with the article.

3. In a truck having a suitable frame- I I work, inwardly extending arms 22 and 23 to whlch the opposite grlpplng aws are secured, said inwardly extending arms being pivoted to the framework, an operating lever, a lever 15 centrally pivoted. thereto, and links 30 and .31 pivotally connected at one end to the lever 15 and at the other end respectively to the armS 2:2 and 23. i z

4. In a wheeled truck, a bar Supported thereoman operating armor leverpivoted to sa d bar, a second lever pIVOtQlly'bBqDI'Bd to the operating arm, pivoted gripping jaws,

and links connecting the gripping aws with j the second lever.

In testimony whereof, I ailix-my signature, in the presence. of two witnesses.

Vitnesses:

H. S. HEPNER,

EMMA BOWERS.

Washington, 11-. c. V I

OSCAR HovDEQ 

